The Shamrock and the Rose (Silent) (DVD)

Manhattan's Lower East Side is a melting pot in the 1920s, but sometimes the pot boils over. In an era when ethnic groups do not mix, Hot Dog Kelly's storefront adjoins Ice Cream Cohen's. The only mixing Mr. Kelly does with Mr. Cohen is to try to punch him in the nose. A tenuous truce exists as the Jewish and Irish merchants attempt to operate their businesses until a world-shaking discovery is made. Mr. Cohen's pride and joy, his beautiful daughter Rose, has fallen in love with Kelly's son, Tom, and the two rebellious children plan to steal away and elope!

This heartwarming tearjerker sensitively explores the immigrant social milieu of a century ago and features excellent location photography and production values.

Mack Swain was a regular at the Mack Sennett studios, appearing in numerous comedies, most notably Love, Speed & Thrills (1915). His career was revived with his appearance in Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush (1925) which would lead to many memorable roles most notably Mockery (1927) with Lon Chaney and The Last Warning (1929).

• silent